Ahoy Cap'n Mark and fellows of the Brotherhood!!! Its great to see everyone gathered here on deck!
This is a breathtaking assemblage of piratical stuff!!!!and I have looked in numbers of times, unable to even find words or focus enough to compose anything lucid.
So my apologies for being late, with my only explanation as the good ship lollipop (aka bookmobile) has been careened here in the port of Albacrocko for much needed repairs.
Looking at these makes me desperately want to re chart my course to St. Augustine and N.C.!!!!
It is always fascinating to watch you guys exchange such knowledge and detail on all of these things, and while I cannot add much to the firearms and ordnance, I wanted to at least throw in a few shots on some of the other items. While naturally always obsessed with the swords, I can only note how magnificently untouched and well represented these are here...great assembly of the shell guard sabres....which were as I have understood termed colloquially by the pirates, a 'shell' rather than the term cutlass.
On the small dagger, Broadaxe is spot on in this being a Mediterranean dirk, used collectively for these daggers in nautical use by sailors in and from the regions throughout ports there. With these daggers it is hard to distinguish specific identity to region in many cases, so the broader identification is usually better than the much romanticized 'Corsican vendetta' (which it could very well be).
In any case, the 'Mediterranean dirk, in another interesting and much romanticized incarnation, was actually the ancestor of the famed 'Bowie' knife, which is hard to believe when seeing the comparison to this much smaller knife.
I was intrigued by the multi-spiked item in post #5 (which looks like a Mercedes logo in this image). This is as noted , a 'caltrap' (I found interesting detail in "Brevertons Nautical Curiosities" , Terry Breverton, 2013).
Apparently these 'thistle' like devices were fashioned from scrap iron, and into four sharpened spikes. Sailors often went barefoot on deck to avoid slipping, so these devious things were devastatingly effective when strewn out before boarding. The term 'caltrip' derives etymologically from Latin and Old English words such as 'calketrippe' (OE= any plant which tended to catch feet).
The pragmatic 'belaying' pin, was of course to secure rigging and was emplaced in pin rails along the deck sides, however, these very hard wood pins quickly became a 'weapon of opportunity' used to severely club a victim.
Absolutely magnificent collection, and Mark, thank you for sharing it with us and extend deep gratitude to Steve Bunker!!!! a hearty extra ration of grog to him!!!
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